File extension EFI
| File type | Extensible Firmware Interface Firmware Format |
| Developer | UEFI Forum |
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What is a EFI file?
Files with the .EFI extension contain the system data of devices based on Intel architecture – this includes both computers and devices such as AppleTV. EFI system files are used when communicating between the operating system and device-specific software, for example during the implementation of device driver updates, when loading the operating system, and when launching programs before booting the system.
Thanks to EFI files, it is possible to, for example, safely install device updates in a controlled environment during system boot, namely in the device’s EFI system partition. The EFI specification was created by Intel and standardized according to the UEFI standard, which stands for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and is updated by the UEFI forum.
Program(s) that can open the .EFI file
How to open EFI files
If you cannot open the EFI file on your computer - there may be several reasons. The first and most important reason (the most common) is the lack of a suitable software that supports EFI among those that are installed on your device.
A very simple way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been done – the software supporting the EFI file can be found in the table. Now just download and install the appropriate application.
Possible problems with the EFI format files
The inability to open and operate the EFI file does not necessarily mean that you do not have an appropriate software installed on your computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to operate the Extensible Firmware Interface Firmware Format file. Below is a list of possible problems.
- Corruption of a EFI file which is being opened
- Incorrect links to the EFI file in registry entries.
- Accidental deletion of the description of the EFI from the Windows registry
- Incomplete installation of an application that supports the EFI format
- The EFI file which is being opened is infected with an undesirable malware.
- The computer does not have enough hardware resources to cope with the opening of the EFI file.
- Drivers of equipment used by the computer to open a EFI file are out of date.
If you are sure that all of these reasons do not exist in your case (or have already been eliminated), the EFI file should operate with your programs without any problem. If the problem with the EFI file has not been solved, it may be due to the fact that in this case there is also another rare problem with the EFI file. In this case, the only you can do is to ask for assistance of a professional staff.
Similar extensions
| .adm | Administrator Policy Template Format |
| .adml | Microsoft Administrative Language-specific XML Template Format |
| .admx | Microsoft Administrative XML Template Format |
| .aml | Microsoft Assistance Markup Language |
| .ani | Animated Cursor |
| .ann | Microsoft Windows Help Annotation Format |
| .aos | Archos Signed Encrypted Data Format |
| .asec | Google Android Encrypted Application Package Format |
How to associate the file with an installed software?
If you want to associate a file with a new program (e.g. my-file.EFI) you have two ways to do it. The first and the easiest one is to right-click on the selected EFI file. From the drop-down menu select "Choose default program", then click "Browse" and find the desired program. The whole operation must be confirmed by clicking OK. The second and more difficult to do is associate the EFI file extension to the corresponding software in the Windows Registry.
Is there one way to open unknown files?
Many files contain only simple text data. It is possible that while opening unknown files (e.g. EFI) with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad will allow us to see some of the data encoded in the file. This method allows you to preview the contents of many files, but probably not in such a structure as a program dedicated to support them.